Welcome back! It's good to see you again. Please note that I am now publishing all new material at my hub site: In Context Blog
I have finally completed a series of posts on the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and I am ready to release the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People E-book!
For the new readers, here are all of the posts in the series:
If you are looking to get more information on how to implement the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People in a Getting Things Done-style system you are in the right place. Over the course of the next few pages you will encounter lessons in personal change that can transform your life.
Because this is not exactly a simple concept to implement, I have created a set of 7 lessons that will guide you through the stages of implementation over the next 7 weeks. This should give you a chance to focus on each new habit in your life for one full week before implementing the next one. Some of the lessons are supplemented by a follow-up worksheet that I have created to help you start implementing the new habit.
Leave a comment, or send an e-mail to - stephen [at] hdbizblog.com
Last week I posted on an article about using LinkedIn that I saw at Chris Brogan’s blog. A few folks e-mailed me for more information on how and why I use LinkedIn. The answers are actually quite simple, and I’d like to share them with the rest of you here.
First, I started using LinkedIn like most others, because I was looking for a job. As I worked on completing my profile, which I initially saw as just an online resume, the service asked me to look for contacts already using LinkedIn by uploading my e-mail address book.
I was quite surprised to learn that many of my contacts were already using LI, and I had a chance to ask them to connect. As of this Monday, I have 125 connections!
As you can see, I did manage to find a job, and LinkedIn played a role. A recruiter had found my resume posted online, and there was a link to my LinkedIn profile. She checked it out and saw the recommendations and list of connections. Because I was connected to other professionals and many of them were in marketing and sales she decided to give me a call and set up an interview.
LinkedIn - Not just for job-hunting
That part of LinkedIn is pretty obvious. The less obvious part of the platform deals with the question regarding “What is LinkedIn good for when you are not looking for a job?”
The short answer is: a lot!
As you can see, Linked in is much more than just a futuristic resume, it is a tool for connecting. Here are three more things that I to do with LinkedIn:
Focus on connecting. Whenever I get a business card from someone I enter them into my Highrise HQ account, then search for that person on LinkedIn right away. Because I have their email, I can send them an invitation to connect.
Increase your visibility. Don’t add people to your network and then forget about them. While everyone you meet may not be a “business” contact, they may be a referrer. How will you know? Use the Question and Answer function on LinkedIn. Also, make sure your public profile is complete. I like to recommend people in my network, I also ask them to recommend me. Every time I do one of these activities, LinkedIn posts updates online and in weekly updates to everyone in my network.
Make LinkedIn your homepage. Whenever I open my browser, I can immediately review my “LinkedIn Home Page” which shows what others in my network are doing and who they’re connecting with. I also check every 2-3 days to see “Who’s Viewed My Profile.” Just as you can use web statistics to see who is looking at your website, you can also see who’s been checking out your profile.
Recently I used the Question and Answer feature for doing some research on a post about working from home. This is something that I have been struggling with for some time now and it occurred to me that I had a large base of people that I know that have been working from home for years. Who better to ask for tips?
I asked a question, and a lot of people answered! In fact, many more than I expected. I consider myself blessed to have so many contacts that are so engaged and willing to help. One of those that chimed in with an answer was Grant Griffiths from Home Office Warrior, who graciously offered to host the collection of tips as a post on his blog. Click here to see this amazing list of tips for working at home.
LinkedIn is a professional network built around one’s employment capabilities. It is often referred to (I believe somewhat incorrectly) as an online version of your CV or resume. People who use LinkedIn expertly, like Christopher S. Penn, will be the first to say that this service is sorely underrated as a place to develop business, grow your capabilities, and promote your projects and opportunities. Here are some thoughts on amping up your LinkedIn presence.
There are a ton of useful links in the comments, too, as Chris’ readers jump in to help. This shows the power of the Linked-In community! I recommend that you read the entire article, but I wanted to put all of the links together for your convenience. Enjoy!
I have been thinking about this topic lately, and Dosh Dosh has a post about it today: Strategic Collaborations
No matter what you call it, collaboration with others will benefit you in ways that go beyond what you can do on your own. Think about it. Each involved party comes with their own established audience, reputation, brand, networks and strengths. Some of them may overlap with your own but usually, they’ll reach people or own assets you don’t.
Some people may have more media contacts. Some may have a specific skill (e.g. design, programing) and others have an audience or customer base that you’re trying to reach. Partnering with them for short or long-term initiatives is a smart way to promote your business, on top of all the online marketing that you’re already doing.
What do you folks think? What would you like to learn about Strategic Alliances? I have a draft post ready and I’d love to be able to tailor it to your questions. Do you have questions about-
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June 30th, 2008 by Stephen
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